On Monday. It’s been exciting. I’ve been planning opening a salon for years. I completed a two-year beauty therapy course at Aoraki Polytechnic in Dunedin in 2007. I worked in the industry for a couple of years before starting a home-based salon. Then I went travelling and when I returned I worked in a range of customer service roles – from hotel work to front of house – but I remained passionate about beauty therapy. I saw this shop in South Rd and it was perfect for what I need and I heard the Caversham community are very supportive of local businesses so I’m looking forward to getting to know people and making them feel good.

Has anyone questioned your decision to open a beauty salon in Caversham?

People do but it is a great location – it’s so central and easy to get to, and other businesses – such as Crave, The Hair Studio and wedding gown shop Bride & Winter – have been operating in the street for years and they love doing business in Caversham.

Did you come up with your business name?

Yeah, it’s a subtle way of getting my name in there and it gets a laugh at the bank.

Your logo has the phrase “the Scottish touch”. What is your Celtic connection?

My family emigrated to Dunedin from Glasgow when I was 16. We didn’t realise Dunedin had a strong Scottish heritage until we arrived. We didn’t have internet in Glasgow then and we had no idea. My parents were going to emigrate to Russia or South Africa and we came to New Zealand on the recommendation of my uncle. He missed out the detail about Dunedin’s Scottish connection but helped with the homesickness.

Why haven’t you lost your Scottish accent?

I don’t know. My family in Scotland say I have and that I sound Kiwi but people here tell me I sound Scottish – I’m in No Man’s Land, no-one is claiming me. I speak more softly and politely in New Zealand than I did in Scotland because you have to speak slower and avoid using Scottish slang or else I lose people.